The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-18
GRAY,s ELEGY.

Some New Facts About the Famous Poem
How the Author Wanted It Printed.
Frederick saunders, in the 'story of Some Famous
OF Gray's "Elegy" it is related that General
Wolfe. on the evening preceding the memorable
battle Of the Plains of Abraham. repeated the
noble aud seemingly prophetic line.
''The paths of glory lead but to the gravel"
to his brother officers, adding: Now, gentle
men, would rather be the author of that poem
than take Quebec" There are two manuscripts
stanzas which the author never inserted in the
published editions. Gray. with a friend. once
elegant bookcase filed with choice
collection of French classics handsomely bound,
the price of which was one hundred guineas.
He expressed a strong desire for this lot, but
could not then afford to buy it The converse
ton between the poet and his friend being over
heard by the Duchess of Northum berland, who
was acquainted with the latter, she took the
opportunity Of ascertaining who his friend was.
Upon finding that it was Gray the poet, she at
once bought the bookcase, with its contents
and sent it to his lodgings with a note. import.
ing that she was-"ashsmed of sending so small
an acknowledgment for the infinite pleasure she
had received in reading the E.eey in q Country
Churchyard,' Of all others her most favorite
poem"
That oftquoted couplet-
Where ignorance is bliss,
It's folly to be wise"
We derive from his Ode to Elton College.
Gray began his Eleey soon after the death Of
his friend Richard West about I742; it is sup
posed the event prompted the poem. It was
laid aside, however for nearly seven year,, and
in 1850 was resumed, when the poet thus re-
ferred to the circumstance in his letter to Wal
pole:
II have been here at Stoke few days twhere
l shall continue good part of the summerl, and
having put end to thing whose beginning
you have seen long ago, / Immediately send it
you. You will, hope, look upon it in the light
of thing with end to it-a merit that most
of my writings ha We wanted and are likely to
want"
The Elegy was much handed about in manu-
script, and like Colerdge's "Cnristabel," in that
condition gained considerable celebrity. In 1751
it ascertained that il was likely to be pub
lished without his consent and Gray desired
Walpole to place his copy in Dodsleys hands, to
be printed and published. with this direction:
Print 1t without any interval between the
stanzas, because the sense is, in some places,
continued beyond them; and the title must be
'Elegy Written in Country Church-yard." If
he would add line two. to say it came into
his hands by accident, should like it better"
1t has not been ascertained how long Gray
engaged upon the structure Of the Elegy. al
though he is known to have made frequent re-
visions and alterations ofTt. Tho actual locality
of it's composition is we believe. as yet undeter-
mined; there is a tradition that it was Within the
precincts of the church of Granchester about
two miles from Cambridge; and the ''curfew"
is supposed to have been the great bell of St.
Mary's.
It would be superhuou to speak of the merits
of this matchless poem, its worldwide popular
ity evnces how universally 1t charms and i'm
Hebrew, Greek, Latin. French, Italian, Portu-
guese, German. and re printed more frequently
in the original than almost any other production
of its class.